EAC Postpones Northern Sudan Request To Join Bloc

With Africas newest nation, South Sudan, expressing a keen interest to join the East African Community (EAC), who is likely to benefit the most and what does the new republic stand to gain by joining the regional body?
During a recent visit to Kampala, the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir reiterated his countrys commitment to join the EAC to reap the benefits of regional integration".
Firstly, the landlocked South Sudan needs a gateway to the world after separating from northern Sudan. Secondly, a significant percentage of South Sudans trade is with East Africa (80 percent), while it clears a big chunk of its goods through the port of Mombasa, Kenya.
According to Anthony Lino Makana, South Sudans roads and transport minister, the country has started talks with several oil firms to build a 200-km link to the existing pipeline running from Mombasa to Eldoret in Kenya. Makana said such a pipeline would help South Sudan export its oil to Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
If and when it joins the EAC, South Sudan would be bringing with it oil wealth, minerals and a huge agricultural potential. Joining the EAC is almost inevitable for South Sudan, given its historical and cultural links with Kenya and Uganda.
David Nalo, the permanent secretary in Kenyas Ministry of East African Community, said the EAC is bound by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005, an international agreement under which South Sudan seceded from the north. With South Sudans independence on 9 July, the country now has to apply for EAC membership as a new state.
According to Nalo, upon application, South Sudan will be subjected to the conditions of accession. Article 3 (3) of the EAC Treaty sets out conditions for membership; these include: acceptance of the Community as set out in the Treaty; adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice; contribution towards the strengthening of integration within the East African region; geographical proximity to and inter -dependence between it and the partner states; establishment and maintenance of a market driven economy; and social and economic policies being compatible with those of the Community.
Moreover, South Sudan will have to surmount many challenges for it to become a full EAC member. The countrys attempt to join the EAC comes at a time when the five EAC member countries have made major steps, including establishing a Customs Union and a Common Market.
South Sudan must also embrace democratic and best common practices that have been embedded within the other EAC five member states.
According to Pete Ondeng, a business strategist and author, South Sudan currently cannot compete with mature economies that it would be joining in the EAC.
Once South Sudan joins the EAC, it would be difficult to stop the flow of goods from member countries, an event that might delay the take-off of the new countrys manufacturing sector.
Ondeng told the Independent East African News Agency (EANA) that once strategic and important industries are identified, the South Sudanese government must both encourage and protect their domestic growth, given that free trade may not accelerate it to become a mature economy.
Ondeng added that South Sudan needs to recognize that by throwing its borders open for goods and services from other EAC members, the county will have very little chances of getting on its feet quickly.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

The East African Community(EAC) Council of Ministers has postponed a request by Northern Sudan to join the bloc due to continuous fighting with the Southern Sudan.

Speaking to reporters at the Julius Nyerere International Airport inDar es Salaam yesterday, Minister for East Africa Cooperation Samwel Sitta said the last decision would be made by Head of States at their next summit.
He explained that Northern Sudan had officially requested to join the EAC bloc on June 10, while knowing their country was still in a political turmoil and sending troops to Southern Sudan.
Sitta said the partner states were worried that if Northern Sudan were allowed to join the EAC, it would change current developments to conflict management discussions. We are now discussing development agenda; these people will take us back to solving member problems, he explained.
According to him, the two countries are yet to decide their boundaries for each country. He explained that issues of boundaries were serious and likely to consume a lot of time to reach a consensus.
The minister said the EAC would be happy also to receive an official request from Southern Sudan which was closer to Uganda. He said the request from Southern Sudan would be treated differently due to its proximity.
Meanwhile, Tanzania and Uganda have signed a pact for producing 16MW in Muronga/Kigagti area, Kagera River.Sitta said the electricity to be produced would help solve power problems in Kagera region, which had been getting extra power from Uganda for some time.
Each country will get 8MW; we are expecting Kagera region to have reliable power supply next year, he noted.He said the project to cost US$8 million would be completed within 12 months and would be funded by the Africa Development Bank (ADB).
The partner states have agreed and have passed a Bill for establishing a college, which will be providing training to EAC Members of Parliament. The aim is to reduce costs spent to train parliamentary staff abroad, he explained.
By Felister Peter, The Guardian

Well it is good to let North Sudanese to wait joining East African Community; but if EA community wanted to be a peacemaker would have given both North and South Sudan rules and laws on joining the Community one is to follow the boundaries ...

So if they really wanted to join the Community they will follow the rules and laws which were put for them to accept the boundaries, so then the peace will be there rather than deny them joining the EA community.

I bet to differ with Sitta, I think Sudan should be accorded EA membership. The reason that Sudan is beset with violence and therefore doesn't qualify to be EAC member is unsound. We should rather embrace them and probably they might learn something from us especially on matters pertaining peace maintenance.

How comes African( EAC) escape from conflict discussion !?,t is insane.African we don't make such decisions b'se we don't know the true value of being together as one Nation.Our leaders are very indecisive when it comes to decisions.God bless Africa.

I bet to differ with Sitta, I think Sudan should be accorded EA membership. The reason that Sudan is beset with violence and therefore doesn't qualify to be EAC member is unsound. We should rather embrace them and probably they might learn something from us especially on matters pertaining peace maintenance.

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they can learn from outside, we do want be part of their wrong doing
let them learn first SITTA he right
tumefanya ukombozi wa africa sasa sisi ni wa nyumba kimaendeleo kazi kuwaza kukomboa nchi za wengine tu
wakisha komboka wanakuja kutunyonya kama south afrika

Well it is good to let North Sudanese to wait joining East African Community; but if EA community wanted to be a peacemaker would have given both North and South Sudan rules and laws on joining the Community one is to follow the boundaries ...

So if they really wanted to join the Community they will follow the rules and laws which were put for them to accept the boundaries, so then the peace will be there rather than deny them joining the EA community.

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I'm just trying to figure out what's going on in Sudan area. Who is the problem, new nation or North Sudan? Some news shows that the situation not really stable there, and some political parties are banned in North Sudan. To join East African Community can be a pill for both states to swallow for fever relief and community sharing can be a bandage to wrap up wounds that left over by fighting.